The Sad Man
by zanderlod
Summary: Have you ever seen someone looking so unbelievably sad that you can't help but go up to them and say hello? (Takes place after Amy's death but before his retirement)


Have you ever seen someone looking so unbelievably sad that you can't help but go up to them and say hello? I had just gotten to my car, brown paper bags spilling out of my hands as I tried to get my keys out of my pocket to unlock the doors. I finally managed to do so, but one of the bags fell in the process. I quickly dropped to the pavement, scrambling after the cans threatening to roll out of reach.

I slammed the door once everything was back where it should be, and saw him as I looked up. He was sitting on a park bench looking down at his boots. On his face was an expression of such hopelessness that I immediately found my feet carrying me onto the grass.

"Hello," I said, sitting down next to him. He looked up and smiled sadly.

"Hello," he replied, and I noticed he had an accent.

"Are you from around here?" I asked.

"I'm not from around anywhere," he told me, looking out. "Not anymore." I followed his eyes and saw only the street and buildings beyond, but I got the feeling he was seeing more than just that.

"You look lonely." I told him. "What are you doing out here?"

"Watching. Waiting."

"Watching what?" I asked. "Waiting for what?"

"You know, I don't actually have any idea." He gave me a smile.

We sat for a moment in silence. "You missed one." He said eventually.

"Missed what?"

"A can," he told me. "I saw you pick them up but you missed one. It's under that car." He pointed and I noticed that infernal tin, lying under a bumper.

"It's ok." I told the strange man. "I've always hated beans."

"Then why did you buy them?"

"My roommate. She's always liked them."

"That's what I like to see." The man smiled softly.

"What?" I asked.

"Someone putting someone else's needs or wants before their own. Not enough people on this world do that anymore."

"This world?" I asked, laughing. "What are you, an alien?"

"What I don't look like an alien to you?" The man asked, joining me in laughing.

I looked him up and down. "Not really," I said, my genuine, toothy smile breaking through.

He pulled an apple out of his jacket pocket and started tossing it up in the air before catching it and looking at it longingly.

"Going to eat it?" I asked.

"This apple has too many memories to eat," he told me, a sad expression wandering onto his face again. He pocketed it once more. "Your groceries are going to spoil."

"Let them." I said firmly. I wasn't about to abandon somebody so in need of someone to talk to.

He looked at me, a funny expression on his face as he contemplated what I said.

"So what's with your clothes?" I asked him, trying to change the subject. "You're dressed like an old man."

"An old…what do you mean?"

"Tweed coat, bow tie, you've even got suspenders."

"Bow ties are cool!" He exclaimed, pulling it and straightening it as he did so.

"Whatever," I said, smiling again. I looked out into the street. "All you're missing is a cane."

"Had one once. Helped me not die. It only got in the way after that."

I laughed at this utterly ridiculous statement and kicked off my heels, letting my toes feel the grass below us.

"It's going to rain," he said.

"How do you know?" I asked him, and then jumped as a raindrop hit my nose.

I looked at him, mouth gaping. "How did you…

"Clouds." He told me. "They've been grey all morning."

The rain started falling harder as we sat there, enjoying the sound. My phone beeped.

"What's that?" he asked.

"An alarm." I responded. "It's already three." I sighed and stood up, stretching my arms behind me and sighing as my shoulders popped. "I really need to head out. Would you like to come?"

His eyes looked longingly up at me, before he sighed and got up, brushing off his pants. "I would like to very much," he said. "But I'm afraid I can't. Things to do, people to see, places to visit."

"Sounds like that'll take awhile."

"No not really. Well not always. It was an absolute pleasure to meet you…?"

"Andrea."

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Andrea."

"Pleasure was all mine." I told him, shaking his outstretched hand.

As I walked to my car I looked behind me, watched him walk in the other direction. I sat down and pushed away the wet hair sticking to my forehead. The car started smoothly and I looked behind me as I pulled out. I was halfway home before I realized I had never asked for his name.


End file.
